Mechanical pencil



Oct. l1, 1938. A. D. CLAGGETT MECHANICAL PENCIL Filed June'zv, 1955 Patented Oct. 11, 1938 UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFiE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical pencils and particularly to that type Where extra leads are carried within the pencil body vand the leads successively placed into writing position by a simple manipulation of thepencil without in any manner dismantlingthe pencil or handling the leads, the pencil is also of the advance-retract type and is substantially automatic in all of its manipulation. K

Many pencils of the magazine type require that the leads be extracted from the magazine by hand and placed in the pencil point which takes time and due to the fragile nature of the small thin leads many of them are broken in this act.

In this improved pencil after the magazine is filled with leads they are not again touchedby hand as they are successively fed to the writing point, the waste end of a used lead is ejected by the expelling rod, the rod retracted into the pencil, the pencil rolled in the hand until a new lead rolls'into the guide tube when the expelling rod and clutch sleeve are moved forward by means of a spiral sleeve and the lead is thereby gradually fed through the writing point asr the pencil is used by a slight rotation of the spiral from time to time.

This improved pencil is very simple in construction, easily dismantled for examination or repairs, and as easily assembled again, the parts constituting the operative mechanism are of suiiiciently rugged construction to stand ordinary usage towhich a pencil is legitimately subjected.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a mechanical pencil of the magazine type carrying within the body of the pencil a storage of extra leads. y

'It is a further object of the invention to provide a mechanical pencil of the advance-retracting type.

It is also an object ofthe invention to provide a mechanical pencil having a spiral feed device for movingrthe lead into writing position or to withdraw ,it into the pencil body through the medium of a clutch sleeve moved and controlled by the spiral.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mechanical pencil having means for moving an expelling rod and aclutch sleeve in unison during the major part of the consumption of a single lead and then to retard the clutch sleeve and move the expelling rod a further distance to expel the small end of the remaining lead. y

It is a still further object of the invention toprovide a mechanical pencil wherein the operative elements are so positioned and related that (ci. 12o-1s) no damage can result from a continued rotation of one of said elements after the other parts have reached the limits of their operative movement.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a mechanical pencil wherein the power element is automatically disconnected from the lead propelling elements when said elements have reached the limits of movement in either a propelling or a retracting position.

With such objects in view as well as other advantages which may be inherent in the invention but which have not been specifically mentioned, applicant wishes it understood that he does not limit himself to the exact construction and operation as shown and described, but considers himselfY entitled to such changes and modifications as fall within the scope and meaning of the claims hereto appended.

The drawing accompanying this application illustrates the preferred manner of applying the invention in concrete form to a commercial pencil, but it is not necessarily made to scale and some of the parts may be more or less exaggerated relative to other parts to better show the structure and operation of a pencil embodying the invention.

Reference now being had to the drawing where references of like character indicate the same parts inthe different views, a better understanding of the invention will be had.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a pencil showing the clutch sleeve and expeller rod fully retracted.

Figure 2 is the same section as Figure 1 but showing the end of the lead projected into writing position.

Figure 3 is a like sectional elevation showing the expeller rod projected.

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on approximately the line ll-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross section takenon approximately the line 5--5 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the spiral, clutch sleeve and expeller rod and cap separate from the pencil body.

Figure '7 is an enlarged detail showing fragmentarily the clutch sleeve, the propelling rod and the actuating spiral.

The numeral l indicates the pencil body made from a suitable piece of tubing, threaded at one end to receive the tip 2 and smooth bored at the other to receive the turning cap 3. A guide tube 4 is permanently secured to the tip as as 5 andhas .a slot its entire length as at 6. A clutch Uil sleeve 'I slides with friction engagement freely in the guide tube 6 and the expeller rod 8 slides with friction engagement freely in the clutch sleeve I. A spiral actuating screw Si is rotatably mounted on the guide tube 4, abutting either at one end against the collar I fixed on the guide tube 4 or at the other end against a cap II screwed onto the upper end of the guide tube 4, the spiral having a slight axial movement in certain manipulations of the pencil as will be explained further on in the description. Secured to the upper end of the spiral 9 is a short ferrule I2 having a notched ange I3. The cap 3 has a driving nger I4 normally resting in one of the notches I3 and acts to rotate the spiral 9 when it is turned by the ngers. The expeller rod 8 has a laterally projected pin I5 and the clutch sleeve 'I has a like pin I6 both of which are normally extending through the slot 6 of the guide tube 4 and into the spiral groove of the actuating screw 9. The slot 6 serving to keep the rod and clutch sleeve from turning with the spiral and the pins in the groove of the spiral acting to propel both the rod and clutch sleeve when the spiral is turned.

Operation 'I'he operation of a pencil such as shown in the drawing would be substantially as follows: v

The rst operation would be to ll the magazine with leads. This is done by removing the cap 3 and dropping the leads, one at a time into the notches of the collar I3 when they will drop down into the magazine space as they show at I'I. When the magazine has been lled the cap 3 is replaced and turned counterclockwise which will draw the clutch sleeve and expeller rod up into the pencil, in which position they are in Figure 1. Now by rolling the pencil back and forth with the point down a lead will fall into the slot 6 as shown at I8 and dropdown into the tip. The cap 3 is now rotated clockwise which propels the clutch sleeve I and the expeller rod 8 down toward the tip and as they approach the lead and contact with its upper end it will be pushed through the tip. If now the lead it touched by the finger or rested on some solid object and pushed back slightly the inner end will slip into the clutch sleeve and be securely held and from now on will move with the clutch sleeve whether moved in or out. In the normal operative position the expeller rod 8 does not reach quite to the end 0I the clutch sleeve and thereby acts as an abutment for the lead while writing.

Figure 2 shows the position of the lead, the clutch sleeve I and the expeller rod 8 in position for writing after adjusting a new lead.

To facilitate getting a lead to drop into the slot 6 when the pencil is rocked with the point down the inner surface of the tip is made conical as at I9 which tends to direct the leads toward the lower end of the slot 6, and by rolling the pencil the lead nearest the slot will slide down the cone I9 and into the slot 6 and rest wholly within the guide tube 4.

When a lead has been used its full length and the pins I5 and I6 on the expeller rod and clutch sleeve have reached the end of the normal feeding movement, the pin I5 may stop against the collar Il!) and the forward end of the clutch sleeve I against the bottom of the bore 2i] in the tip 2, or the parts may be proportioned so that the pin I6 just clears the collar as shown in Figure 3 and the lower end of the clutch sleeve stops at the end of the bore at 20. In either arrangement the feeding movement of the clutch sleeve stops, and a further turning of the cap 3 will cause the pin I5 to feed downward and thereby carry the expeller rod 8 far enough to eject the small end of remaining lead which position is shown in Figure 3.

When the clutch sleeve has reached the end of its feeding movement and the spiral actuating member is rotated further the lower point of the spiral will ride over the pin I6 and thus be moved axially a distance equal to the diameter of the pin I6. A continued rotation of the spiral actuating member in the same direction will now move the pin I5 and the rod 8 forward to the end of their movement when the point of the spiral will ride over pin I5. Pins I5 and I6 now resting side by side as shown in Figure 7 will remain in this position until the direction of rotation of the spiral 9 is reversed when the point of the spiral will first ride under the pin I5 and start it into a retracted position and will then ride under pin I6 and retract it likewise. The pins I5 and I6 will now be spaced in the spiral as shown in Figure 2 and will be maintained in this spacing until they are again carried to either end of the spiral Figure '7 shows the end of the spiral resting on the pin I5 and when so resting it is compressed slightly in the manner of a compression spring so that when the spiral is turned counterclockwise the sharp point of the spiral will snap down when it rides off pin I5 and thus be in position to enter between the pin I5 and the pin I6 and start the pin I5 up the spiral which will draw the ejector rod 8 up into the tube I in which it has a sliding friction iit and thus tend to draw the spiral down onto the pin I6 when it will engage IIi and thus draw the tube I up into the pencil with the end of the spiral now resting iirmly on the shoulder Ill' as shown in Figure l. The same action takes place at the top end of the pencil when the pins I5 and I6 are moved to their limit and the spiral is turned to feed the pins downward.

A particular feature of the advantage in this pencil is that it cannot be damaged in any manner by a continued turning of the spiral after the pins I5 and IB have reached the limitsof their movement in either direction.

Figure '7 shows their position when fully projected toward the point of the pencil, and it will be seen that the spiral may be rotated in a clockwise direction as much as may be desired but the point of the spiral will simply continue to ride over the pin I5 with perfect freedom and with no feeding action, in other words the spiral in the position of Figure 7 is completely disconnected from the pins I5 and I6 and rotates clockwise entirely independent of them.

The free axial movement of the spiral 9 on the guide tube 4 is just equal to the space occupied by the two pins I5 and I6 when in the posi tion of Figure 7. In this position the spiral 9 has moved axially its full movement and the upper end is abutting against the collar or-cap I I. Immediately the direction of rotation of the spiral 9 is changed to counterclockwise the point of the spiral 9 will iirst ride under pin I5 and then at the next revolution will ride under pin I9 which will automatically respace the pins as in Figure 2.

If the spiral 9 is rotated counterclockwise until the pins I5 and I6 are carried to the upper end of their movement they will both stop against the cap II and the spiral will ride over the two pins in the same manner as shown in Figure 7, only here it will bear against pin I6 instead of pin l5 as in Figure' 7. In this position the spiral 9 is again free and may be rotated repeatedlywithout in any manner aiecting the movement of the pins l5 and I6. A reversal in the direction of rotation of the spiral, however, to clockwise rWill immediately bring the -point'of'the spiral under the pin I6 and move it along the groove and at the next rotation willV pick up pin l5 when the pins will again be spaced as shown in Figure 2.

This construction provides a mechanical pencil wherein the mechanism cannot be damaged in any manner by repeated rotation of theoperative mechanism ineither direction, because each time the pins l5 and i6 reach the limit of their axial movement the spiral rides' free and no damage' to4 the delicate mechanism can result.

If the clutch sleeve and expeller rod were free of friction in their movement throughthe supporting tube the operation would be as described but if friction existed and tended to restrain .the

movement of the clutch sleeve or expeller rod in eitherV direction, then the. spiral would immediately ride up against one of the stopl members on the supporting tube and remain there while propelling the sleeve and rod through the pencil, in which case theclearance space between the end of the spiral and the stop on thetube as shown in Figure 7 would be established immediately rotation of the spiral began andA would remain as shown until thespiral was rotated in the opposite direction when it would immediately absorb this clearance space and ride against the shoulder. With friction restraining the parts the clearance space will always be 'established for the reception of the pins l5 and IB when they reach the end of their movement.` f

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mechanical vpencil, comprising a barrel acting as a magazine for the storage of leads, a tip secured to one end of said barrel and a revolving cap frictionally held tothe other end of said barrel, saidcap having a driving finger, a guide tubeV secured4 to said tip and extending axially through said barrel, a longitudinal slot in said guide tube, a clutch sleeve slidable in said guide tube and an expeller-'rod Aslidable in said clutch sleeve, an actuating screw having adriven element and mounted iorrotation on said guide tube through engagement with the driving finger on said cap and having means for engaging said clutch sleeve and said expeller rod and moving themy in unison for placing a lead in writing position in said tip.

2. A mechanical pencil comprising a barrel open at both ends and acting as a storage for extra leads, a tip secured to one end of said barrel and a cap rotatably mounted on the other end of said barrel, and having a driving finger, a guide tube secured to said tip and extending axially through said barrel, a longitudinal slot in said guide-tube, a clutch sleeve slidable in said guide tube and an expeller rod slidable in said clutch sleeve, an actuating screw having a driven element and mounted for free axial and controlled rotative movement on said guide tube, and means on said clutch sleeve and said expeller rod for engaging said actuating screw whereby they are moved in unison as said actuating screw is ro tated, the driving iinger on said cap rotating said screw.

3. A mechanical pencil comprising a barrel, a tip secured to one end of said barrel and a cap frictionally mounted forrotation on the other end of said barrel and having a driving finger, a guide tube' secured to said tip and extending axially through said barrel, a longitudinal slot in said guide tube through which leads may enter, a rclutch sleeve slidable in said guide tube and an expeller rod slidable in said clutch sleeve and capable of axial movement throughout the entire length of said guide tube, an actuating spiral having aY notched collar and mounted for rotation on said guide tube and having free axial movement thereon, projections on said clutch sleeve and said expeller rod to engage with said actuating spiral whereby they are moved axially through said guide tube when said spiral is rotated, means associated with said rotatable cap for rotating said actuating spiral when said cap is rotated, the rotation of said cap in either direction acting through said finger and notched collar to rotate said spiral to move said clutch sleeve and said expeller rod in unison toward or away fromthe tip thereof to thereby move a lead through said tip into writing position and to feed said lead into said tip and to retract said parts to place a new lead in position for expelling through said tip, with means on said guide tube for limiting the axialv movement of said spiral. f'

4. In a mechanical ypencil the combination of a central tube having alongitudinal slot through the lower end o-f which leads may enter, a clutch sleeve and an expeller rod slidably mounted in said tube and each having a projection extending through the upper end of said slot in said tube, an actuating spiral mounted foraxial movement and rotation on said tube and means for rotating said spiral, a projection on said sleeve and one onsaid rod extending into said spiral and being propelled axially'thereby with means along said tube for retarding the axial 'movement of said clutch sleeve while said expeller rod continues its axial movement toeject a portion oi lead from the end of said clutch sleeve, the axial movement of said spiral permitting it to continue rotation after said clutch sleeve and expeller rod have reached the limit of their movements.

5.,In amechanical pencil the combination of a central tube having a longitudinal slot its entire length through which leads may enter through the lower end, a clutch sleeve and an expeller rod located in said tube and each having a projection extending through said slot, an actuating spiral rotatably mounted on said central tube and means for rotating said spiral, said spiral also having free axial movement on said tube, substantially equal to the combined thickness of the projections on said sleeve and said rod, a projection on said sleeve and one on said rod engaging with said spiral to be moved thereby when the spiral is rotated, the said clutch sleeve and expeller rod moving in unison until a lead is substantially used up, a stop member for stopping the movement of the clutch sleeve While the expeller rod continues its movement to completely expel the remaining lead from the pencil, the axial movement of said spiral permittingit to continue rotation after said clutch sleeve and expeller rod have reached the limit of their movements, the axial `movement of said spiral being limited to substantially the combined thickness of the projections on said sleeve and rod.

6. In a mechanical pencil the combination of a central tube having a longitudinal slot substan tially its entire length through the lower end of which leads may enter from a stored supply,

lead expelling and holding members moving axially through said central tube and each having a projection extending through the lower portion of said slot, an actuating spiral rotatably mounted on the upper end of said central tube and also having a slight axial movement thereon, means for rotating said spiral, a ixed abutment on said central tube against which said lead holding member stops when at the end of its feeding stroke so that a continued rotation of said spiral will continue to move said lead expelling member axially to expel the remaining lead from the tip of the pencil, the stopping of the lead holding member causing slight axial movement of the spiral as it continues rotation and the stopping of the lead expelling member causing further axial movement of the spiral as it continues further rotation.

7. In a mechanical pencil the combination of a central tube having a longitudinal slot, a clutch sleeve slidable in said tube and an expelling rod slidable in said clutch sleeve, an actuating spiral rotatably mounted on said central tube and having free axial movement thereon, a projection on said sleeve and one on Said rod for engaging said spiral whereby when said spiral is rotated said sleeve and rod will move axially and in unison to bring a lead into writing position, a fixed abutment on said tube for stoppingthe feeding movement of said clutch sleeve and said expelling rod in succession which will impart stepped axial movement to said spiral as it continues rotation, said axial movement Vbeing substantially limited to the combined thickness of the projections on said sleeve and rod.

8. In a propelling pencil the combination of a s-ingle means comprising a plurality of elements for moving single leads into Writing position, said means including a lead clutching sleeve with laterally projecting pin, a lead expelling rod with laterally projecting pin movable in said sleeve and a spiral member for engaging said pin's on said sleeve and rod and moving them in unison for the major portion of their movement, a tube supporting said sleeve, rod and spiral, fixed stops on said tube spaced to allow limited axial movement of said spiral and to form fixed stops for said sleeve and rod, manual means to rotate said spiral to move said sleeve and rod axially thereof, the frictional resistance of the moving parts through the pencil causing said spiral to ride against one of said fixed stops and leave a free space adjacent the other stop for the reception of the pins on the sleeve and rod members when they have reached the limits of their movement.

9. In a propelling pencil the combination of means for moving single leads into Writing position including a lead clutching sleeve and a lead expelling rod, each with a laterally projecting part, and a spiral for engaging said projecting parts and moving the said sleeve and rod, a tube supporting said sleeve, rod and spiral, xed stops on said tube spaced to allow limited axial movement thereon of said spiral and to form limiting stops for said sleeve and rod at the extremes of their movement in either direction, the frictional resistance of said sleeve and rod moving in said tube causing said spiral to ride against one of said stops and leave a free space adjacent the other stop for the reception of said projecting parts of said sleeve and rod when they reach their limit of movement in either direction thus leaving the spiral free to rotate unimpeded and disconnected from engagement with said sleeve and rod.

10. In a propelling pencil the combination of means for moving single leads into Writing position including a lead clutching sleeve, a lead expelling rod slidable in said sleeve and a spiral separately engaging said sleeve and rod to move them in unison for a portion of their travel, a tube for supporting said elements in operative relation, fixed stops on said tube spaced to allow limited axial movement of said spiral thereon and to act as limiting stops for said sleeve and rod, the frictional resistance of said sleeve and rod moving through said tube acting to hold said spiral against one of said xed stops and leave a space adjacent the other stop for the reception of the engaging members on saidv sleeve and rod When they have reached the limit of their axial movements, the relative feeding positions of said sleeve and rod normally being spaced the pitch of said spiral, except when one or the other reaches the limit of its movement when the spiral will continue to move the other into abutment therewith When the spiral Will be fully released from engagement with said sleeve or rod and may move freely thereafter.

ALBERT D. CLAGGETT. 

